AFF4 promotes tumor progression by modulating PTEN/PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis to accelerate glycolysis in lung adenocarcinoma
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE262461 | GEO | 2025/08/20
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:Despite a wealth of preclinical studies, it is unclear whether PIK3CA or phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene aberrations are actionable in the clinical setting. Of 1,656 patients with advanced, refractory cancers tested for PIK3CA or PTEN abnormalities, PIK3CA mutations were found in 9% (146/1,589), and PTEN loss and/or mutation was found in 13% (149/1,157). In multicovariable analysis, treatment with a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor was the only independent factor predicting response to therapy in individuals harboring a PIK3CA or PTEN aberration. The rate of stable disease ≥6 months/partial response reached 45% in a subgroup of individuals with H1047R PIK3CA mutations. Aberrations in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway are common and potentially actionable in patients with diverse advanced cancers. This work provides further important clinical validation for continued and accelerated use of biomarker-driven trials incorporating rational drug combinations.
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Project description:The present study aimed to explore the role of the PTEN/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in the neurite outgrowth and apoptosis of cortical neurons. Cortical neurons were seeded on or adjacent to chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans. The length, number and crossing behavior of the neurites were calculated. Immunohistochemical staining and TUNEL data were analyzed. Neurites treated with PTEN inhibitor exhibited significant enhancements in elongation, initiation and crossing abilities when they encountered chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in vitro. These effects disappeared when the PTEN/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was blocked. Neurons exhibited significant enhancements in survival ability following PTEN inhibition. The present study demonstrated that PTEN inhibition can promote axonal elongation and initiation in cerebral cortical neurons, as well as the ability to cross the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan border. In addition, PTEN inhibition is useful for protecting the neuron from apoptosis. The PTEN/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway is an important signaling pathway.
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Project description:BackgroundPericyte-myofibroblast transition (PMT) has been confirmed to contribute to renal fibrosis in several kidney diseases, and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is a well-known cytokine that drives PMT. However, the underlying mechanism has not been fully established, and little is known about the associated metabolic changes.MethodsBioinformatics analysis was used to identify transcriptomic changes during PMT. PDGFRβ + pericytes were isolated using MACS, and an in vitro model of PMT was induced by 5 ng/ml TGF-β1. Metabolites were analyzed by ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS). 2-Deoxyglucose (2-DG) was used to inhibit glycolysis via its actions on hexokinase (HK). The hexokinase II (HKII) plasmid was transfected into pericytes for HKII overexpression. LY294002 or rapamycin was used to inhibit the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway for mechanistic exploration.ResultsAn increase in carbon metabolism during PMT was detected through bioinformatics and metabolomics analysis. We first detected increased levels of glycolysis and HKII expression in pericytes after stimulation with TGF-β1 for 48 h, accompanied by increased expression of α-SMA, vimentin and desmin. Transdifferentiation was blunted when pericytes were pretreated with 2-DG, an inhibitor of glycolysis. The phosphorylation levels of PI3K, Akt and mTOR were elevated during PMT, and after inhibition of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway with LY294002 or rapamycin, glycolysis in the TGF-β1-treated pericytes was decreased. Moreover, PMT and HKII transcription and activity were blunted, but the plasmid-mediated overexpression of HKII rescued PMT inhibition.ConclusionsThe expression and activity of HKII as well as the level of glycolysis were increased during PMT. Moreover, the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway regulates PMT by increasing glycolysis through HKII regulation.
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Project description:The PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway is constitutively active in PTEN-deficient cancer cells, and its targeted inhibition has significant anti-tumor effects. However, the efficacy of targeted therapies is often limited due to drug resistance. The relevant signaling pathways in PTEN-deficient cancer cells treated with the PI3K/mTOR inhibitor BEZ235 were screened using a phosphokinase array, and further validated following treatment with multiple PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors or AKT knockdown. The correlation between PTEN expression levels and STAT3 kinase phosphorylation in the tissue microarrays of gastric cancer patients was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Cell proliferation and clonogenic assays were performed on the suitably treated PTEN-deficient cancer cells. Cytokine arrays, small molecule inhibition and knockdown assays were performed to identify related factors. PTEN-deficient tumor xenografts were established in nude mice that were treated with PI3K/AKT/mTOR and/or STAT3 inhibitors. PTEN deficiency was positively correlated with low STAT3 activity. PI3K/mTOR inhibitors increased the expression and secretion of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and activated the JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway. Both cancer cells and in vivo tumor xenografts showed that the combined inhibition of PI3K/AKT/mTOR and STAT3 activity enhanced the inhibitory effect of BEZ235 on the proliferation of PTEN-deficient cancer cells. Our findings provide a scientific basis for a novel treatment strategy in cancer patients with PTEN deficiency.
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Project description:AFF4 is a component of super elongation complex (SEC), which plays an important role in mobilizing paused RNA polymerase II at gene promoter regions. Using exome sequenging, we have identified a novel genetic disorder caused by missense mutations in AFF4. We propose CHOPS syndrome as a name for this new diagnosis. To evaluate the effect of identified missense mutations of AFF4, utilizing patient derived skin fibroblast cell lines, the gene expression analysis was perfomred. To characterize the transcriptome pattern observed in CHOPS syndrome, the skin fibroblast samples from two CHOPS syndrome probands and three healthy control subjects were used. Samples used for expression array include two CHOPs syndrome samples (CDL160: 6 year-old Caucasian female with 254S mut and CDL444: 12 year-old Caucasian male with 254A mut) and three age gender matched controls (GM01652: 11 year-old Caucasian female, GM02036 11 year-old Caucasian female and GM08398: 8 year-old Caucasian male).
2015-01-27 | E-GEOD-64031 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:The present study examined the expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and mutations in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mTOR pathway in 54 patients with typical carcinoid tumours (TC) or atypical carcinoid tumours (AC). In total, 54 bronchopulmonary neuroendocrine tumour (NET) surgical specimens, consisting of 17 TC, 8 AC, 17 large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), and 12 small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) samples, were tested for mTOR by immunohistochemistry, and 104 exon sites were tested in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway by nested polymerase chain reaction. It was found that the positive rates for mTOR expression in TC/AC and LCNEC/SCLC were 60 (15/25) and 55.2% (16/29), respectively. In total, 4 missense mutations were found in 3 patients with TC/AC, including mutations in exon 48 of mTOR (c.6667C>T), exon 21 of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) 1 (c.2765G>A), and exons 12 (c.1265C>T) and 19 (c.2148C>T) of TSC2. To the best of our knowledge, mutations in exon 48 of mTOR and exon 21 of TSC1 have not been previously reported. Tissues from patients with single mutations exhibited strong positive mTOR immunohistochemical staining, and tissues from patients with double mutations were weakly positive. The same mutations were not observed in SCLC or LCNEC. In conclusion, gene mutations were observed and an association between the gene mutations and mTOR expression were indicated in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in TC/AC tumours. Those mutations may be driver genes and treatment targets.
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Project description:BackgroundHuman Schlafen 5 (SLFN5) is reported to inhibit or promote the proliferation of several specific types of cancer cells by our lab and other researchers. We are curious about its implications in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAC), a malignant tumor with a high incidence rate and high mortality.MethodLentiviral stable transfections of SLFN5-specific shRNA for knockdown and SLFN5 full-length coding sequence for overexpression were performed in LUAC cell for proliferation analysis in vitro and in vivo in nude mice. Clinical LUAC samples were collected for immunohistochemical analysis of SLFN5 protein levels.ResultsWe found that knockdown of endogenous SLFN5 upregulates cancer cell proliferation while inhibiting apoptosis. Besides, SLFN5 inhibition on proliferation was also observed in a nude mouse xenograft model. In contrast, overexpression of exogenous SLFN5 inhibited cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo and promoted apoptosis. As to the signaling pathway, we found phosphatase and tensin homolog on chromosome 10 (PTEN) was positively regulated by SLFN5, while its downstream signaling pathway AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) was inhibited. Moreover, compared with adjacent normal tissues, SLFN5 protein levels were markedly decreased in lung adenocarcinoma tissues. In conclusion, these suggest that human SLFN5 plays inhibitory roles in LUAC progression through the PTEN/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, providing a potential target for developing drugs for lung cancer therapy in the future.
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